ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

  Situation Reports  -  September 26, 2024 By  Geopolitical Monitor The ascent of China’s economic influence in Africa is undeniable, with China  surpassing  the United States as the continent’s largest trade partner in 2009 and more recently  quadrupling  the US-Africa trade volume. The trade gap has US policymakers concerned over eroding US influence on the continent, increasing the appetite for developmental and infrastructure investment to facilitate US-Africa economic ties. It is in this context that the Lobito Corridor – a 1,300 km railway traversing Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zambia – first came to light in 2023. Any US initiative in Africa is destined to play catch-up against China’s longer running and more comprehensive engagement strategy. Over the past decade, such efforts have run through the  Belt and Road Initiative  (BRI), a colossal infrastructure and economic development project spanning across Asia, Europe, and Africa. To date, 52 African gove

  Situation Reports  -  September 27, 2024 By  Nicola Stoev China remains a critical market for multinational firms. It is the world’s second-largest economy and the largest manufacturing and trading state. China is also among the world’s greatest beneficiaries of foreign direct investment (FDI). As of the mid-2010s, approximately a third of China’s GDP could be traced to foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs), their supply chains, and the consumer spending of related employees. However, shifting policies, slower economic growth, changing consumer behavior, and geopolitical tensions are now prompting a rethink of China strategy among many foreign companies.   A Shifting Policy Environment Elbows Out Foreign Firms Foreign firms have always regarded China’s policy environment as challenging. China  reserves  a substantial portion of its economy for the state or state-owned enterprises (SOEs) through a Negative List for Market Access. Beijing further  restricts  the access of foreign compani

  Today’s geopolitical developments reflect a complex web of power struggles and hidden agendas that mainstream narratives tend to obscure. Let’s take a deeper look at some key events from September 27, 2024, through the lens of a conspiracy theorist, revealing potential covert motives and orchestrated strategies shaping the global landscape. 1. Venezuela: A Manufactured Diplomatic Crisis? Venezuela’s geopolitical situation took a sharp turn with arrest warrants issued by Argentina against high-ranking Venezuelan officials, including President Nicolás Maduro, for alleged crimes against humanity. While on the surface this seems like a legal and diplomatic consequence of the Maduro regime’s actions, conspiracy theorists suggest that this move is part of a coordinated effort by Western powers to destabilize Venezuela. Argentina’s actions might not be independent but rather a signal from larger Western interests like the U.S. to escalate pressure on Venezuela. This could serve to push the